Spiritwalker
by Amber Cloud
Summary: Yet another New Chapter, some really sad moments too...Read and Review...What spirits lurk in the halls of Mutant X? Mostly the whole team and their thoughts and actions on the afterlife.
1. SpiritwalkerProlouge

Spiritwalker

Yet another story by Amber Cloud. The following is a Mutant X story. I don't own these characters, but Kari Spiritwalker is my own creation. Don't sue me, you won't get any money from me.

Prologue-

The call in the middle of the night awakened Jesse Kilmartin before the phone rang. Something was very wrong, he knew it, but the uneasiness woke him from a sound sleep.

He was halfway to the communication lab at Sanctuary when Shalimar Fox met him in the hallway. He knew that she tended to be sensitive to the world, much like feral animals know when a natural disaster is about to occur. They both ran for the ringing comm., something was happening. Something very bad.

"Sanctuary, go ahead," Jesse grabbed the comm steps before Shalimar.

"Jesse, it's Kari Spiritwalker, San Francisco," a female voice that sounded oddly calm, "We have had a 7.9 earthquake and we need help, stat."

"Gotya, we're inbound in 20 minutes, you need more than us?" Shalimar answered, "Have you contacted the local relief?"

"Hey Shal," Kari continued, " Yes, but they don't want to touch the safehouse."

Jesse sighed. Humans and mutants not working together in a disaster was inhuman. Time to be better than xenophobic humans. At least Mutant X believed in helping all.

"Kari, see you soon," Jesse cut off the commlink and started to put on the jacket that he left on the chair, "Shal, you get Brennan, I'll get…"

"Already up, "  Brennan Mulwray interrupted, fully dressed and standing behind them, "Lexa is loading the Helix. How bad is it? Kari send any hard info?"

"Not much, except that the safehouse is pretty much toast, " Jesse ran his fingers through his hair, "She is way too calm, just like we know Kari to be."

As they entered the double Helix, Lexa Pierce, the fourth member of their team, raised an eyebrow.

"Who is this Kari Spiritwalker?" she asked, strapping herself in.

"We've never met her," Jesse replied, setting the Helix in motion, "She came to us via vid, we know she's a mutant and she volunteered to run the safehouse. She's been there for about two years and nothing has rattled her feathers."

Shal switched her com to the news reports of the quake in San Francisco. While the damage was quite small, the places where the damage was the worst was a horrifying sight. Fires abounded, but several were out of control. Shal hated fire and secretly prayed that she would not have to anywhere near one.


	2. SpiritwalkerIntroductions

One  
  
The San Francisco safe house was located not two far from the pier district in the city. As Jesse landed and commanded the helix into stealth mode, the darkness surprised Shalimar and Brennan. The building wasn't on fire. It wasn't standing up that well either.  
  
"Wow," Lexa breathed, "This doesn't look too good."  
  
"Kari wouldn't have called if it wasn't bad," Jesse commented as he and Brennan forced the door open.  
  
The scene before them was replayed in every bad disaster movie. It looked like the safe house had tried to become one level from the ground up. Rebar was twisted into weird shapes and several mutants were trying to help each other out of the rubble. Some had similar powers to Brennan and were working on getting the electrical systems back, others were using superhuman strength to lift rubble off of others, and others were tending to the wounded.  
  
"JESSE! SHALIMAR!" A voice yelled out, "Up here."  
  
Jesse turned to the catwalk above his head. Kari Spiritwalker stood, dressed in black, black hair straight and hanging down her neck in front of her. Her coloring, Native American in origin hid her bruises, and the slight scrape along her forehead added to her look. Her eyes were haunted. She slid down a nearby ladder and met them.  
  
"Welcome to our humble abode," she began, "I'm sorry I had to wake you guys up, but this one's a little beyond my abilities."  
  
Her eyes met every one of them, but she didn't touch anyone.  
  
"Looks like you have it mostly under control," Brennan stated, starting to charge up his right hand, "How can I be of help?"  
  
Kari smiled.  
  
"I know the guys could use your help in bringing up our generators," she began, motioning for the group to follow her, "Shalimar, how are you at moving rubble?"  
  
"Can do, medical help too," Shalimar began, "I don't think you've met Lexa."  
  
"Lexa Pierce," Lexa stared toward Kari with an extended hand.  
  
Kari stopped her.  
  
"Don't touch me, you won't like the result," she warned.  
  
Lexa stopped. The other woman's eyes darkened. She turned as another member of the safe house staff came up to her. She muttered in her ear and ran off.  
  
"Lexa, follow her, she could use your unique help in the med lab," Kari requested, "I'll explain about me later."  
  
Kari turned to her lone companion. Jesse had been surveying the damage and missed Lexa's reaction.  
  
"Everyone's got a job but me," he said, "and how do you know all bout us?"  
  
"It's a long story, the short form, I'm a medium/psionic," Kari's reply was short, as she rubbed the scrape on her forehead, "My hope right now is that I can keep these mutants amongst the living.".... 


	3. SpiritwalkerOblivion

Spiritwalker  
  
A/N-Yet another story by Amber Cloud. The following is a Mutant X story. I don't own these characters, Marvel owns these characters, but Kari Spiritwalker is my own creation. Don't sue me; you won't get any money from me.  
  
Reading and Reviewing makes you a wonderful person. Please do so. Save me from my insanity.  
  
I warn you, this is a short one, but it has it's reasons....  
  
Two Hours later, power, communications and the medical lab were cleared of serious cases and life returned to normal in the San Francisco safe house. Jesse had reset the communications database, Brennan had returned the power grid and Lexa had helped reset the medical scanning equipment. They were all taking a break when Kari stepped into the main hall of the safe house.  
  
"You okay?" Lexa asked, her concern for the woman growing since they first met.  
  
Kari didn't even hear her. Her eyes were closed like she was sleeping.  
  
"Kari?" Shalimar asked in unison with Jesse and Brennan.  
  
Kari Spiritwalker opened her eyes and faced her new companions. The brown eyes they had met hours ago were a pale green. Her face had grown dangerously pale, and she could barely move.  
  
"Help me," she whispered, "I have to get someplace quiet and without the constant noise."  
  
Jesse caught her before she fell. Oblivion had caught up to her. 


	4. SpiritwalkerExplanations

Three  
  
Kari woke to the stark interior of the medical lab at Sanctuary. As her eyes flittered open, she tried to sit up. Quickly was not the best idea.  
  
Two hands gently placed her back down.  
  
"You might just want to lie there, Kari," Jesse's voice continued, "You have earned it."  
  
"What about my people?" she asked, her voice cracking.  
  
She stopped. It was painful to talk.  
  
"Water?" Jesse offered.  
  
Shalimar wandered into the room, a smile growing on her face.  
  
"Thought I heard two voices in here, how's our patient?"  
  
"That was my next question," Kari laughed weakly.  
  
"As far as I can tell, Ms. Spiritwalker, You're going to be okay, but the dehydration and malnourishment has got to stop," Jesse put a hand on hers, "Your people will be alright."  
  
Kari smiled weakly and leaned back on the table. She took Jesse's water and slowly drank it.  
  
"You know you're a hero amongst your team at the safe house, right?" Shalimar asked, grabbing a chair, "If you hadn't warned them about the quake, it would have been much worse."  
  
Kari nodded.  
  
"I know. They told me before it happened. I couldn't keep it from happening, but I could at least get my folks to safety," she replied.  
  
"I'm sorry, but who are the "they"?" Shal asked, "Someone gave you warning about this quake?"  
  
Kari sighed. Having to explain herself was an exhausting routine.  
  
"Shalimar, let me explain for you, "Jesse interrupted, "Kari here is a medium/psionic. She hears from those who have passed on."  
  
"You're a telepath who speaks to the dead?" Shalimar asked, stunned, "Isn't that technically impossible?" "Not really, if you look at the genetic side of things. I inherited the mediumship, the psionics were courtesy of Genomax. Jesse, can you do anything about my headache?"  
  
Kari sat back and closed her eyes.  
  
"Sure." He replied, stepping back and hitting some buttons on the med bed, "You want more sleep?"  
  
"If it's okay, yes."  
  
Shalimar met Jesse's glance. They had known each other long enough to know the message behind a look.  
  
"Get some rest, we'll talk later." 


	5. History

SpiritWalker  
  
AN- Yet another story by Amber Cloud. The following is a Mutant X story. I don't own these characters, but Kari Spiritwalker is my own creation. Don't sue me, you won't get any money from me.  
  
Those who have reviewed, I humbly thank you. I continue onward, lest the plot bunnies eat my brain.  
  
Four  
  
"Okay, what is her history?" Lexa asked as Jesse sat at the table in their shared kitchen.  
  
Jesse pulled out a disc and loaded it into the holoprojector that sat on the table. Kari's picture and dossier pulled up.  
  
"Well, to start with, her full story wasn't on the main database. She's a mystery, but one I don't think we have to worry about," Jesse started, "She's part Japanese and Creek Indian. From what I found in Adam's files, she came into Genomax when he was still there looking for relief from the noises. I gave her that on the med bed, with a cross from Emma's old headache cureall and a powerful sedative."  
  
"That explains her reactions to the noises," Lexa interjected, "Shalimar told me that she's a medium?"  
  
"That's the term she uses. She's also a very powerful psionic, mostly uncontrolled from what I have read. She could pull power from elementals, she's that close to the elements. That's why she wouldn't touch you. She didn't want to hurt you."  
  
"I'm glad for that," Lexa responded, her look a little frightened, "How did we not know about her?"  
  
"That's what I have been trying to find out," Jesse continued, "She's a mystery. Adam trusted her to run the San Francisco safe house, so I put some faith behind him. You never heard of her in the Dominion."  
  
"No."  
  
"A further search then," Jesse sighed, "I just wish Adam had put more together on her."  
  
The wear was beginning to show. He was good at helping Adam in the past, but the only person who knew psionics better than Adam was Emma, and Emma was gone. He began to realize how much he missed her.  
  
"I'll check my contacts in the Dominion, Jesse, if that will help," Lexa suggested, "Check back with you in an hour?"  
  
Jesse nodded and closed his eyes. The image of Emma seemed frozen behind his eyelids. She looked at him, motioned to the computer, and pointed to a file.  
  
"Jess?" Lexa asked again, touching Jesse's face.  
  
Jesse woke with a start.  
  
"When's the last time you slept?" she asked, her tone going from friend into mother.  
  
"Two days ago, you?" Jesse yawned, "I know, I know, but I need to figure this out before I sleep, Lexa. Get Brennan to help you, and I'll see what I can do."  
  
Lexa nodded and left the room. Jesse slowly got up and felt faint. He closed his eyes and had another flash of Emma. He stood up again slowly. He headed for the med lab and to figure out just what was causing this image. 


	6. Possession is Nine Tenths

Spiritwalker-Possesion is Nine tenths  
  
Yet another story by Amber Cloud. The following is a Mutant X story. I don't own these characters, but Kari Spiritwalker is my own creation. Don't sue me, you won't get any money from me.  
  
Review-The writers mind you save, might be your own.  
  
Five  
  
Kari's eyes opened and she stared at the rings that danced above her head. Turning her head, she noticed that Shalimar was across from her, sitting half-asleep in a chair. She started to slowly sit up and was greeted by Jesse walking like a man possessed to the medlab computer.  
  
"Can someone let me out of here?" Kari asked quietly.  
  
Shalimar smiled and walked up next to the medical force field. She hit two buttons on the bed and the field dissolved. Kari sat up. The dizziness had vanished.  
  
"How ya feeling?" Shalimar asked, helping the woman as she moved her feet from the bed to a sitting position.  
  
"Decent," Kari tried standing, "Where is Jesse going?"  
  
"I'm back here," Jesse called out, "How the heck did I get here?"  
  
"What? You don't remember?" Shalimar asked as Kari leaned against her to walk into the back area of the lab.  
  
"Jesse, you walked right past me as I was waking up," Kari stared at him.  
  
Jesse gave her a blank stare in return. He closed his eyes again and tried to stay conscious. Shalimar placed a hand on his shoulder. Jesse stopped for second and looked back at her. His eyes were haunted.  
  
"Emma?" he asked, looking at Kari like he saw a ghost. 


	7. Spirits of Darkness

Spiritwalker-7  
  
A/N-For those who have reviewed, I again thank you humbly. I was thinking of going onto bed when this thought kept gnawing at the back of my brain. Yes, there is a MAJOR cliffhanger at the end of this. For my friends who study metaphysics, well, I will get into the hows and why shortly-promise. Remember, we are playing in the supernatural here.  
  
Chapter Seven-Spirits of Darkness  
  
Kari swallowed, her dark eyes meeting Jesse's blue ones. He stared at her, the look of terror reflecting his inner soul. She knew that Emma was passed, but, the spirit of the girl she knew from Adam's letters wasn't with her in the moment. She slowly reached out to touch his shoulder.  
  
Jesse shrank away from her touch. Her hand went through his shoulder as he phased. His breath returned and he said softly, "Don't."  
  
Kari turned from him. She was still feeling weak, but, the look had said it all. He was scared of her. Shalimar's defenses were up, Jesse was the closest thing to a little brother and she ran on instinct, protecting the pack.  
  
"Do I look like Emma?" Kari asked slowly, leaning on the edge of the counter, "I'm sorry if I scared you, Jesse."  
  
Jesse didn't reply, just looked at the young woman who a moment ago was Emma Delauro to him.  
  
"What is going on with me?" he thought aloud, "One moment I'm sitting with Lexa, talking about you, then I'm in here. I had this flash of Emma and the next thing I know.."  
  
"You're sitting here," Shalimar ended his sentence for him. Jesse nodded.  
  
Kari stared into a blank corner of the lab. She had been listening to him, but the light kept changing in the lab. She took a deep breath and let it out.  
  
"Jesse, what was in your flash of Emma?" she asked, as the light changed again.  
  
"What do you mean?" Jesse asked her.  
  
"What did you see?"  
  
"It's hard to explain, I saw Emma, her running from me, and...OW!" he closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, not realizing that doing so caused him to phase. Shalimar jumped, the nerves running along her spine activating her feral senses.  
  
The lights in the lab flashed and Kari stared into the one corner of the lab that caught her attention earlier. Without warning she touched Jesse's shoulder and the lights went completely out.  
  
Shalimar watched the scene and was acting on instinct when she pulled Kari from Jesse. Jesse fell limply away from Kari, his head hitting the floor with a sickening thud. Kari screamed, causing Brennan and Lexa to run into the lab. Brennan's hand came up and with skilled practice, the energy that the elemental breathed like life relit the room. Lexa was adding a glow to the room that dimly showed them the scene.  
  
Jesse was sprawled on the floor, unconscious. Kari was sitting in Shalimar's lap, her eyes still on the same spot in the lab. Shalimar was shaking. Lexa moved over to Shalimar and pulled her from Kari. Kari never even moved from the spot.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked the corner, her eyes glazing and her body moving into a defensive posture.  
  
Shalimar, coming back to reality, watched the scene. She could tell something was in the corner, and from what Kari's movements were, it was something malignant.  
  
Brennan, after checking on Jesse, found his voice.  
  
"What do you see?"  
  
"Who are you?" she asked again, "My friends and I want to know. And why did you posses Jesse that way?"  
  
"What do you see Kari?" Brennan asked again.  
  
She looked at the corner, then up at Brennan.  
  
"He says he's an old friend of yours, but I don't believe him," she replied, "He can't understand why I can see him and no one else can. He's a man of science, knows about electricity, and says he hid in Jesse's biochemistry when he phased during a mission."  
  
"Does he have a name?" Lexa asked, fascinated at this mutant's ability.  
  
Kari stopped for a second, asked the question, then turned very pale. She looked at Lexa, Brennan and Shalimar.  
  
"He says he's Mason Eckhardt".  
  
****************************************************************** 


	8. Purgatory

Purgatory  
  
A/N-Like I said in earlier chapters-These characters are on loan. I don't own them and if I did, well, I can't go there, but I can't afford to be sued either. For the readers, I thank you again. Hope you are liking it.  
  
"What?" Shalimar was stunned. "He says he's Mason Eckhardt. Jesus, Brennan, I know who he is, you don't have to be shouting it," Kari's reaction was to Brennan's silent shouts of protest, "I know he's dead."  
  
"But how..." Shalimar asked in confusion.  
  
Lexa watched a change in the pattern of the light in the small lab. A shadow of the light went for the computer, which had rebooted when the lights went out. She went to the computer automatically, as if in a trance. She pressed several keys and the lights came back up brightly. The computer also beeped. There was a message. She read it quickly, coming out of the near trance and looking back up at the unmoving scene.  
  
"Brennan," she said soflty, "Charge the corner. Do it slowly."  
  
"Charge it how, I can't see anything?" Brennan growled, his thoughts on what Kari was saying.  
  
Kari turned to Lexa, reading the intent behind the comment.  
  
"Tell her it won't work," she said aloud, "And I am not letting him back into Jesse."  
  
Shalimar jumped to her feet from the defensive stance that Kari had adopted. Nothing was going to harm Jesse. She wouldn't let it.  
  
"Kari, just do it, it will work," Lexa yelled, "It's all set up."  
  
Kari's head turned.  
  
"Brennan, do it. Hit the wall with all you can, slowly."  
  
Brennan complied, hitting what he saw as an empty wall. Kari on the other hand, saw through a white-haired figure, wearing glasses and glaring at her. As Brennan's power hit him, he smiled, his face and body becoming more solid. Shalimar gasped. She saw him too.  
  
"Lexa, do it now," Kari yelled as Lexa punched in a series of keys, locking the ghostly presence of Mason Eckhardt into a force field. The figure flickered but held as the lights came back up to full in the lab.  
  
Brennan stopped and stared at the figure in the force field as it glared back at him.  
  
"This shouldn't be happening," he whistled aloud.  
  
He turned to Kari who had dropped her posture and gone to where Jesse lay. Gently, she touched his forehead. His eyes fluttered open and slowly he lifted himself up from his stomach. He settled into a sitting position and met Kari's eyes. She was touching him and this time it didn't hurt. It was the only thing that didn't as the pain of hitting the floor caused him to rub the bridge of his nose. He felt sore and his head hurt. Badly.  
  
"What the hell happened?" he asked, slowly surveying the room.  
  
"Something that you might not want to understand," Lexa said, crouching down next to him, "You okay?"  
  
"I think so," Jesse nodded.  
  
Lexa and Kari helped him to his feet, slowly and he began to walk to the other part of the lab.  
  
Shalimar was in the other part of the lab, looking at the force field unspeaking. Lexa stood and walked up next to her, their stares being met by the ghostly figure in the field. Brennan, shaking with rage, stood away from the women, his hands in front of him.  
  
Jesse stopped.  
  
"Kari, what happened here?"  
  
"As far as I can tell, that's the ghost of Mason Eckhardt. He's gone elemental in the afterlife and he's stuck here," Kari breathed, "I don't know how long the computer will hold him in this field though. He can't survive in this form without energy."  
  
Eckhardt's lips kept moving as the figure began to look like a projection. Kari stopped for a moment then continued.  
  
"Why did you make me do this?" Brennan growled, grabbing Kari by the arm.  
  
The resulting pain he felt made him wish he hadn't touched her. To be slightly electrocuted can be an interesting pain, like touching a live electrical outlet, but the resulting zap sent a wave of large bore needles up Brennan's arm. In turn, Kari's arm burned slightly. She turned to him, looking deep into his eyes and meeting the rage head on. Brennan backed away, the pain overriding his anger.  
  
"I'm sorry but it wasn't my idea," Kari spoke, "I wanted him dead and cheered the day that Emma killed him."  
  
"Emma?" Lexa asked, her eyes going blank, "Emma wanted me to read the computer file...."  
  
Brennan, Shalimar and Jesse turned to Lexa. She had never mentioned Emma's name before and it was too eerie to hear her say it. Emma wasn't spoke of to her, it invoked too many bad memories. Memories that all had shared, along with many good ones.  
  
Lexa was oblivious to them. She turned and walked back to the computer. Several keystrokes later she broke the silence.  
  
"Jesse, you need to read this, not me," she said softly, "Emma left it for you." 


	9. Banishment

Spiritwalker  
  
A/N-Here I am again, walking into a universe that I don't own. Marvel owns these guys. I'm just playing.  
  
Couple of notes here-One, Loads of Angst to come, here's the setup, the pitch is in the next chapter-and yes, I posted them both.  
Second-I might offend some religious sensibilities. Sorry. Not my intention.  
Third-Please Review. I must admit this is a plot bunny that I am beginning to like.  
Fourth-Thank you for the spelling correction on Eckhart. I hate that guy...  
  
Here's the Next Chapter-  
  
Banishment  
  
Jesse ran his fingers through his hair and turned to the computer. Shalimar's eyes followed him. His body language read hurt. Brennan, who had slumped to the floor, stared at his hands and the image trapped in the force field.  
  
"Kari, how can this be?" he asked again.  
  
Kari didn't hear him, she was too busy listening to the figure. Her head turned and she looked at Brennan.  
  
"Sorry, he rants far too much, but he was answering your question. You know that every living thing on this planet has an electrical charge, yes?"  
  
Brennan nodded. Electricity he knew.  
  
"When someone dies, that charge dissipates," Kari continued, sounding chapter and verse, "The energy has to go somewhere. Some folks believe it goes to heaven, some folks believe it fades away, some folks believe it goes on and on to rediscover another truth. This time, this energy wound up stuck in limbo. You have to remember Mason knows his science and biochemistry. The amount of energy that Jesse produces when he phases and masses caused him to act as a magnet when Eckhart died."  
  
Back at the computer, Jesse read the computer file. As Kari spoke, her voice carried to him, and he could understand the science behind her statements, but strangely, her voice sounded just like Emma. He tried to concentrate on the words in front of him, but, the instructions in the file were clear. He had to set up a program that could take the energy of the force field and dissipate it again. By sending all that energy to the four corners of the world, he would send Eckhart from this plane to the next. He typed for several moments and pulled the program together.  
  
"Brennan," Jesse said, trying to focus on his friend, his head still hurt badly.  
  
Brennan had followed Kari's explanation and stared up at Jesse.  
  
"Trust me when I ask you to do this," his eyes met Brennan's, "Charge that field with everything you have on my mark."  
  
"You set it up?" Kari interrupted, "He knows what you're trying, and he keeps laughing about how it won't work."  
  
"I trust what she said," Jesse continued, "Brennan, MARK!" The elemental hit the field with a large series of electrical bursts. Lexa, sensing the need to help him, hit the field as well.  
  
Mason's slight smile faded as the energy grew in the field and shorted out the entire computer system. His face contorted in pain and the lights failed under the extreme power surge.  
  
The resulting explosion was minor, sending the team backward from their spots. The emergency generator kicked in bringing lights back to the medical lab. Jesse slowly stood from where he had ducked.  
  
Brennan was against a wall, his eyes reflecting the disbelief of the scene. Eckhart's ghost was gone, the lab needed some repair, and Brennan needed some sleep.  
  
"Brennan, you okay bro?" he asked, slowly walking to join his friends.  
  
"Yep," he replied looking at Kari.  
  
Kari was stone still again. She looked around the lab, closed her eyes then opened them again. Shalimar walked over to her and helped her up from the floor. Kari took her hand, bounced up, and smiled.  
  
"I hate to sound like a movie, but this house is clean," she laughed, "How are you guys?" 


	10. Spirits of Light

Spiritwalker  
  
A/N-Here I am again, walking into a universe that I don't own. Marvel owns these guys. I'm just playing. Suing is not going to get you any money, I don't have any.  
  
Angst-Loads of special Jesse-based Angst. Also, I didn't see the season two finale, so, if I am a bit wrong a little later, sorry.  
  
Spirits of Light-  
  
Clearing the lab took hours, the reset of the computer system took even longer. Jesse and Lexa spent days reconfiguring the system and rebooting the core computer. Kari had helped reset what she could, answering what questions she could about their unusual visitor, and like all of them, getting sleep when she could.  
  
Brennan had stayed away from her, she had sensed his confusion and anger toward her, so she had done the same to him. She found herself next to him one late night when she went into the kitchen in search of cocoa. He sat there, staring at her when she walked in.  
  
"Ok, enough," she said, sitting down, "You're pissed at me and I am sorry."  
  
"Sorry doesn't cut it," Brennan replied, his voice calm, "You don't know how bad I feel."  
  
"You feel bad? Brennan, you sent that monster back to the hell he came from," Kari stood her ground, "He used me to get to all of you. If it could have been any other way, I would have found it. Besides, having you do what you did wasn't my plan."  
  
"Whose was it?" Brennan asked softly.  
  
"Emma's," Jesse interrupted, coming into the room, his hair crumpled from another sleepless night. Kari looked at him. The pain in that statement reflected in his eyes. Jesse settled into a chair next to Brennan.  
  
"She left me a file, which, explained what happened to Eckhart after she killed him. I don't know how she could have done it. She explained it all," Jesse said, his eyes turning toward the tabletop, "She's been around here, hasn't she, Kari?"  
  
Kari waited a moment before she replied. Emma's spirit had walked the halls when she got there, she heard her comments to everything that happened, but the calmness that Emma kept to the situation, and the power she had demonstrated was astonishing. It was hard to find the words to explain to her friends that Emma wasn't resting in peace.  
  
Brennan stared at her, the vibe coming off of him less of anger, more of frustration. Jesse was desolate. Seeing her as Emma had scared him to his very core. He was all for the mysteries of science, but when it involved a friend who passed, it shook him, badly. She slowly took his hand in hers.  
  
The images fluttered behind her eyes, like memories that she was watching in a movie theater. Emma and Jesse laughing at a joke, him trying to save her from exposure to the disease that almost killed them both, Emma using her powers to save them many times, the horror of watching Emma kill Eckhart ran past her thoughts in heartbeats.  
  
"Yes," she said softly, "She wanted to protect you all."  
  
"Did she know that I was carrying..." Jesse's voice broke off. The thought that the energy that represented Eckhart was living deep in Jesse still terrified him.  
  
His shoulders shook as he fought off the need to cry. Brennan put on hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, she knew," Kari replied after a moment, "She wanted to help you, but she had no idea how to, getting me here helped. You had no way of knowing, Jesse."  
  
Jesse's tear-filled eyes greeted hers as he looked up at her.  
  
"She didn't want that bastard living inside of you," she continued, "You have to remember it took a serious shock to get him out of you, and containing him, took Brennan and Lexa. Shalimar knew something was horribly wrong."  
  
"Yep, I sure did," Shalimar emerged from the darkness of the hallway leading into the kitchen, "Couldn't put my finger on it."  
  
"You guys couldn't have gotten rid of him alone, you did it as a team," Kari observed, "I know how badly it hurts, Jess, you should be proud, not sad."  
  
"I just miss her," his voice cracked, a single tear rolling down his face. "As do we all," Shalimar put her hand on Jesse's other shoulder. 


	11. Recovery

SpiritWalker  
  
A/N-So, I have this day at work where I can do a little writing. And I do. So, this chapter is hot off the presses. More Jesse and Kari, some background, some angst and some setup for a special guest star.  
  
Legal Stuff-So, Marvel owns EVERYONE, but Kari Spiritwalker is mine. And she's for sale, we'll talk....And please don't sue me, I don't have money.  
  
I call this episode  
  
Recovery  
  
The next morning brought sad news from Kari's safe house. The building, damaged badly by the quake was condemned. The group she ran, was going underground elsewhere and Kari was without a home.  
  
Kari was upset, her life for the past three years had been the new mutants in San Francisco. Jesse, sensing her upset, offered to bring her to San Francisco and gather her belongings.  
  
The trip began in silence, each passenger alone in their own thoughts. Kari, after their soul breaking encounter, didn't know how to talk to Jesse. She looked at him innocently, trying to find the words to break the cold ice that had settled between them. She was used to it, because the stigma of being a medium came with people always wondering what you saw and what you knew about a person before meeting them. Jesse had been different. He didn't ask about her powers. He believed her about what she saw, and that made her stronger.  
  
Jesse stared at the controls ahead of him, his thoughts on the early morning conversation. Emma had been on his thoughts since the moment Kari walked into their lives. She was so different from Emma. Emma had been off and on with her powers, while Kari, in her quiet manner was 100 percent spot with her abilities. She seemed like she could be one to count on in a fight, but he had felt the strange need to protect her.  
  
"Damn it," she muttered under her breath.  
  
"What?" Jesse asked.  
  
"Sorry," Kari smiled slightly, "I can't stand this silence. You want to talk, right?"  
  
Jesse nodded. Not only was she psionic, she read body language quite well.  
  
"Talk," Kari opened, turning her seat to face him, "You have me alone, ask me what you want to ask me. I'm am not a mind reader, I have the ability, but I don't like the idea of reading your mind without your permission."  
  
"A psionic with morals?" Jesse smiled.  
  
Kari sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.  
  
"Talk to me Jesse," she said, "It's going to be a long ride back, you better think of something, how about the Lightning?"  
  
"Hockey's Brennan's game, I'm more of a baseball guy myself," Jesse was more at ease.  
  
"Jesse, what's on your mind?"  
  
"You."  
  
Kari stopped for a moment.  
  
"Me? I'm honored," Kari blushed.  
  
"Kari, Emma," his voice cracked, "She was the first psionic I knew. It's hard for me to get used to the idea of being around one again. I'm sorry that we have been less than accepting."  
  
"I'm sorry I'm like the wayward child," Kari admitted, "It's hard you know. All of you have been so accepting. I appreciate it, but I know that I don't fit. You all are you own team."  
  
Jesse nodded. Kari got it.  
  
"I'm still having a hard time with how Eckhart got to me," Jesse admitted, the slight glide of the Helix turning them toward the Golden Gate Bridge, "I know science. I know that something wasn't quite right after Eckhart's death. The thought of him living inside of me..."  
  
"Jesse, how could you have known?"  
  
"I should have known," Jesse stopped as they landed.  
  
"Having a our bodies ourselves moment?" Kari looked at him, gathering her jacket, "You had no way of knowing that he was in your biochemistry. It's all about the electricity, Jesse."  
  
"Electricity is more Brennan's realm."  
  
"But its part of everyone's life," Kari interrupted, "You couldn't have known it, but Eckhart drained your energy levels to sustain himself. Rather brilliant, when you start to think about it."  
  
Jesse pulled the Helix up and began landing procedures. The craft landed on the edge of a park and faded into the landscape.  
  
"Brilliant for a madman," Jesse unbuckled his harness and headed after Kari into the San Francisco morning.  
  
Kari's old safe house was on edge of Japantown. The language changed as Kari entered her old neighborhood. Jesse noticed the change in Kari's body language and marveled at the neighborhood of old and young Japanese. They were out working on their homes, and nodded to Kari as they walked by.  
  
The air of being in her familiar hangouts felt great, but it was sad to know that she no longer had a home there. She spent a few moments, pointing out places to Jesse, and turned for her old home.  
  
After showing her id to the police surrounding the neighborhood, Kari walked into her old house. The balcony she first saw Brennan and Shalimar from was hanging downward, an aftershock adding scaring to the landscape of her memories. She tried not to cry, knowing that this was meant to be, but she quickly went to work, gathering her belongings into a large hikers backpack.  
  
Jesse watched her, helping where he could, and being a listener when she needed it. It was depressing. You could tell in the spots between the damage that this had been a comfortable, safe house for the mutants who stayed her.  
  
She grabbed her laptop computer and the discs that surrounded it. Jesse held the pack for her, and she put the computer in, wrapped up in a towel.  
  
"That should do it," she said, turning.  
  
She stopped. The warning came as a whisper.  
  
"What?" Jesse asked, sensing her instant change.  
  
"We're not alone."  
  
Jesse turned and headed for the main hall of the house. Kari followed him, slinging the pack over her shoulder. They slowly walked through the debris and headed for the remnants of the front door.  
  
They were met at the door by four men, dressed in black and ready for action.  
  
They didn't even stop to ask them who they were. Jesse instantly ducked for cover, trying desperately to bring Kari down with him. Kari slung the pack as hard as she could at the first man, ducked and and waited for the next man to head for her. She gathered the pack back and went for the other man's knees. Jesse stood up in front of her, breathed in and massed, while she ducked.  
  
Three of the men battled them while the fourth readied a weapon, waited until Jesse unmassed, then fired. The bolt hit Jesse mid-torso and brought him down instantly. He hit the floor hard, the debris from the fall causing a small dust cloud to rise up around him.  
  
'This is not good,' Kari thought, pulling herself upright.  
  
The three guys descended upon her. The fourth man aimed the weapon at her, fired, and oblivion soon followed. 


	12. Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire

Spiritwalker  
  
A/N-Hi, my name is Amber Cloud and I write fanfic... Thank you everyone who has reviewed. I dedicate this to all of you, sorry for the delays in getting more chapters up, I have been getting ready for a move, so, lots of time away from the machines for me.  
  
This is fanfic, Marvel owns these characters, even the ones guest starring in this piece. I don't have any money, don't sue me, you won't get anything.  
  
Cliffhanger warning. There, I warned you....(evil laugh)  
  
Out of the Frying pan and into the fire-  
  
Brennan woke, the scream dying in his throat. He rarely had nightmares, at least ones that he remembered, and this one was so intense it lingered on the edge of his consciousness. He saw Jesse and Kari, running after him and falling, falling very hard.  
  
He rubbed his face, trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes and yawned. He got out of bed quickly and was met in the hall by Shalimar, who was just coming home.  
  
"Afternoon sleepy head," she smiled. Her smile faded as Brennan's face clouded with worry.  
  
"Has Jesse checked in?" Brennan asked, "I know he went down to help Kari get her stuff and I haven't seen him since they left on the Helix."  
  
"No, he hasn't," Lexa interrupted, meeting up with them, "and I am beginning to get concerned. He should have checked in at least an hour ago, and the Helix hasn't moved from its homing coordinates."  
  
"Really?" Brennan headed up the stairs for the computer lab, gut instinct telling him something was going very wrong.  
  
Lexa was ahead of him, bringing the tracking software online.  
  
The large map of San Francisco showed the Helix sitting in the parking lot near the safe house, the smaller blip of Jesse's ring miles from the craft.  
  
Brennan bit his lower lip.  
  
"Have you tried raising him?" Brennan asked.  
  
"Yes, no answer," Lexa replied.  
  
"Something is up, Lex, I can feel it," Brennan stated, starting to pace the floor, "We need to go after them."  
  
Blue eyes opened to a rampaging headache. Jesse sat up and desperately tried to keep his vision from spinning. It stopped spinning, but his need to throw up didn't and he promptly threw up. As he finished he tried to figure out his surroundings. He was alone, as far as he could tell, and he was in the dark.  
  
He slowly tried to stand up and as he did, the lights grew brighter. 'Motion detector', he thought to himself and stood, using the wall to steady himself. He scanned the room and contemplated phasing out of the room. Instinct told him to think first and act later. He stood and touched the back of his neck. Luckily, no subdermal. He still controlled his powers and knew that his captors didn't know all of his talents.  
  
As he tested his ability to walk, the door to his cell slammed open and shut quickly, throwing the near lifeless body of Kari into the room. He caught her before she fell and turned to try and see what the captors looked like.  
  
They were dressed in military fatigues.  
  
"HEY! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!" he yelled, trying to get their attention.  
  
It didn't work. Jesse held Kari close and turned her so he could see her face. Her eyes were closed and a bruise was purpling up along her high cheekbone. He put gently put fingers to the side of her face. She stirred under his touch.  
  
"Are they gone?" she asked, one eye opening and focusing on him.  
  
Jesse nodded. He gently let her go, trying to steady her to stand.  
  
"You okay?" Jesse asked. "Yep, but I can't tell you who these guys are," Kari stood, "They have a leader, he called while they were working on me, and he's coming down to meet us."  
  
"Us? Great," Jesse met her eyes, "Any idea what they want?"  
  
"They want my version of the database, the one I had in the safehouse," she said, walking the cell, her fingers searching the walls for any sign of bugs, "They don't realize it was destroyed in the quake."  
  
She stopped and gently pulled on rock face in front of her. Part of the rock came off in her hand, a wire connected to it. She held it up to Jesse and smiled.  
  
"I got that one," she sighed, "I know that there are probably more."  
  
Jesse held up a finger to his lips. He followed her along the wall of the cell, putting on finger along the wall, slightly phased. The pain of phasing was playing on Jesse's nerves, as he found another, he pulled and the wire snapped in his hands. She found another and pulled, then she looked up. A small, lipstick camera was in a corner.  
  
Slowly, she slid down the wall to where the camera could not look. Pointing to Jesse from that spot, she motioned for him to join her. The room went black as he sat down, but she kept her voice soft and low.  
  
"I think we got them all," she whispered, "are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine, I'm more worried about you, you weren't conscious when you came in here," Jesse felt out for her hand and grabbed it, "Did they hurt you?"  
  
"I learned how to play possum growing up, I'm fine, the bruise will heal," she replied, settling into a more comfortable position, "I don't like the dark too much tho, I think they're gonna come for you next. What the hell was that thing that they hit us with?"  
  
"That I don't know, but odds are on a sonic disruptor, I heard the military was using that against the mutants now, and well," Jesse laughed bitterly, "I think we were the new test subjects."  
  
Kari squeezed his hand. She could feel that he was scared, but he had been in this situation before. It was best to wait it out. She had spent time while they thought she was unconscious casting her mind out to whomever she could, but centering on someone she knew could help them. She breathed in and quickly relayed the information to Jess, knowing that in this state it wouldn't hurt as badly as it could.  
  
He breathed in quickly, the invasion shocking. The images she pulled of Brennan, the ones she knew, might just work. The fact that she had resorted to mind communication, which Emma only used on him once made him more accustomed, but the headache afterward was something of memory. "It might just work," he said aloud, the answer sounding strange in the quiet room.  
  
Kari sat bolt upright, her hand going rigid in Jesse's. The camera above them sparked out and the lights came up brightly. Jesse looked at Kari when he could focus. She wasn't doing this, she was trying to adjust to the light, but the look of serenity of her face was out of place.  
  
She started to laugh.  
  
"Jesse, we're going to get out of here," she said, as the door to their cell opened, "Move!"  
  
He did as she commanded, they bolted from their spot into the lit hallway. They ran for a nearby corridor as they entered a long hall. They were almost out of the hallway when the military men met them at the one end of the hall. Jesse breathed in and massed, Kari stepping in behind him like a crude dance. She moved as he turned, protecting her as they ran the opposite direction. More military men met them at the other end of the adjacent hall, cutting off their obvious exit route.  
  
They had a hall to their left they could duck into so they did when Kari noticed a man join the men at the end of the hall. He was a large man, with a regal walk and looking toward Jesse with extreme contempt. He started down the hall toward them when Kari pulled her head back into their small hallway. Jesse looked at her, there was no way out. They had turned down the wrong hall and were going to be in the hands of this madman.  
  
The man continued down the hall when another person stepped into the light of the hallway.  
  
"How you doing Eric?" the man growled, "How about you leave these kids alone?"  
  
Jesse turned toward the man walking down the hall. It took a few heartbeats until he recognized the man, Eric Lensher, otherwise known as Magneto. 


	13. A little Help

Spiritwalker  
  
A/N-Repeat after me, fanfic, marvel owns these characters, I'm just escaping reality with them.  
  
To my loving reviewers-Sorry for the delay, work and moving are making my mind swiss cheese and it's hard to figure out where I am going to go next with these guys, but, Emma will be coming soon, I promise, along with some other "visits".  
  
To my non-reviewers-Please review. I appreciate it.  
  
I call this chapter-A little help from unexpected friends....  
  
Brennan stared at the floor of the devastated safe house, figuring out the dust pattern on the floor. It was obvious there was a huge fight, and it didn't look like Jesse and Kari won the fight. Shalimar stopped next to him.  
  
"Lexa found the Helix and is heading for us," she said, watching Brennan study the scene.  
  
"We found Kari's pack, and the flooring here is evident a fight," Brennan stood and looked at the doorway, "I don't like this, Shal, something is very wrong."  
  
"Lexa's working on the tracking software for Jesse's comring," Shal put an arm in Brennan's, "It should help in finding him."  
  
Brennan nodded.  
  
"We need to do it soon."  
  
The angry man headed for the older one.  
  
"Leave these kids alone, Eric, they haven't done anything to you," he continued, "You shouldn't have pulled them from the safehouse."  
  
"Ah, Logan, I knew you would show up eventually," Magneto purred, "You know what I want from them."  
  
"You're not going to get it, Magneto," the angry man continued, "Beating up on these kids won't help you, and your men are gone."  
  
"Took care of them so quickly?" Magneto turned to face Logan, "You know I can cause you the greatest pain."  
  
"Not before I cause you more," Logan continued "You think that I can't stop you?"  
  
Jesse glared at Kari from his spot in the hallway. The mere thought of Magneto and Wolverine face to face just inches away was quite overwhelming. He knew that Magneto had more than likely wanted the new mutant database. It was the only thing that logically made sense to him.  
  
Why was Logan there? Jesse had heard Adam's stories of the bezerker's rage from his days at Genomax, they used Logan as a model of why they wouldn't work on adults. No one knew his last name, not even Logan. Was Logan alone though, and why was Kari so confident?  
  
Kari stepped in front of Jesse and out into the hall. She stared down Magneto.  
  
"Leave him alone!" she commanded, "You don't have power here."  
  
Kari's body went very stiff and a bolt of light, similar to Lexa's flew from her right hand. Magneto was powerless to fight it and Jesse was freaked. He reached out to grab her from the hallway, scared that she would get hurt, but saw Magneto fall.  
  
Logan stood there stunned.  
  
"Jean?" he asked, startled as he looked at Kari.  
  
"Nope, Uncle Logan, it's me, Kari," she said, smiling, her hands down, "Let's get out of here."  
  
After tying Magneto up, the trio headed out of the warehouse complex, following the path that Logan had created on his own. Kari had been strangely quiet, Jesse following her as she paced after Logan.  
  
As they hit the doorway, they were met with bright sunlight.  
  
"You have any idea where we are?" Jesse asked, squinting in the sunlight.  
  
Kari closed her eyes and shook her head. While she didn't know, perhaps the spirits that followed her did. She smiled slightly, turned and grabbed Jesse's hand. She tapped his comring.  
  
"Lexa," she said quietly, "Use the locator, we're here."  
  
"Thank God," the relief in Shalimar's voice rang through the com.  
  
Jesse smiled for a second, then turned on Kari, his face changing.  
  
"What the hell was that back there? What were you thinking? That was MAGNETO, Kari," Jesse started, the older brother tone uncontrollable, "You could have gotten us both killed, and what the hell was he wanting?"  
  
"The new mutant database," she said softly, "You know it, I know it, and Adam knew it. That's it. I have a copy, that's what was in my pack."  
  
"He beat he crap out of you for a database?" Jesse's tone changed, "And you would have died to protect it?"  
  
"In a New York Minute, Jesse," Kari sighed, it had been a very long day, "You have to remember, we're here to help and be good guys. That's what I do."  
  
"Hey, bub wait a second," Logan turned on the molecular, "She just saved your life and you're throwing her under the bus?"  
  
Kari smiled.  
  
"Uncle Logan, it's okay," Kari continued, motioning to the older man, "When I was growing up, I spent my summers on my dad's reservation. Logan rescued me once, long ago. I bonded with him and I thought he might have heard me when they knocked me out."  
  
"Actually, I did hear you, I could have sworn it was Jean," Logan said softly, "But it can't be her."  
  
Kari grabbed his hands and looked into his eyes. The pain there said it all. Jean Grey, who he had mentioned to her in letters was gone.  
  
"Logan, I am so sorry," Kari rubbed his fingers, "It was her though. She loved you, you know."  
  
Logan nodded. The silence between them was shared by Jesse. He had heard of Jean Grey's death and it had saddened him as well.  
  
"Your eyes weren't deceiving you," she continued, "When a spirit wants to help, they sometimes mirror in my form."  
  
Logan was about to respond when the Helix landed next to where they stood. He hugged her, knowing that the response was not needed. Jesse watched Kari with Logan. Mentor and student.  
  
They were soon met by the rest of the Mutant X team, hugs to both Kari and Jesse, even the elementals hugged Kari, and strangely, there were no ill after effects. Logan was introduced, Brennan had to hold back the awe and Logan politely asked for a lift to the X-Mansion. 


	14. To Sleep

Spiritwalker  
  
Author's Note: Okay, I had many things happen all at once, I know that's NO excuse, but, I did write TWO chapters that I am putting up right here for all of you...  
  
To my reviewers and reviewers to be: Hi! Thanks for the reviews, please review more, it makes me want to write more. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  
  
Angst and cliffhanger warnings.  
  
And the legal stuff-Mutant X isn't owned by me at all. Suing me will not help, I don't have any money. Kari's mine though, she's for sale, see me for details.  
  
I call this one-To Sleep...  
  
After dropping Logan off, Brennan and Lexa sat in the pilots seats of the Double Helix, the silence typical of a long road trip. Shalimar sat behind them, her concentration on the controls and the other two passengers who were sleeping.  
Exhaustion had hit right after they left the Xavier Institute. Kari had passed out in her chair, while Jesse had gently carried her to the back of the plane, he sat and promptly fell asleep, Kari in his lap.  
Shalimar watched them, the innocent look that had charmed her to Jesse was finally present in his sleep. Kari looked younger as well, sleep finally seeming to calm her soul. They had been through so much in the past 24 hours, Kari's calmness toward everything was surprising, but every hour with her was surprising. Shal got up and joined the pilots.  
"Those two are out cold," she began, settling in behind Brennan, "How soon till we're home?"  
"Twenty minutes," Lexa replied, "I don't know about you, I'm beat."  
  
Jesse woke up as they landed. He looked down at the still form of Kari, her face peaceful. He hated to wake her up. She stirred slowly, her eyes opening to meet his.  
"Hey there sleepyhead," he said softly, "How are you?"  
"Still wanting to sleep, you?"  
Jesse smiled. Looking down at her, she felt like the only person in the universe.  
"You need some help getting up?" he asked, stifling a yawn, "Or do you want to continue to sleep right here?"  
Kari grinned back at him and slowly sat up. She finally felt at peace with this group of people. She took Jesse's proffered arm and walked into Sanctuary with him, her exhaustion beginning to return. All she really wanted to do was go back to sleep, but, her mind had begun to race as she entered Sanctuary. They weren't alone.  
She knew that spirits walked the halls in this quiet place. She knew that the team knew it, but they were kind enough to not ask her about it. The spirits though, would not let her alone. She closed her eyes as she walked, internally begging the voices that were speaking to her to let her sleep.  
Jesse stopped at the door to the guest room.  
"Kari?" he asked, watching her face.  
She opened her eyes slowly.  
"Jesse, don't leave me alone tonight," she begged softly.  
Jesse understood her tone and gently picked her up. He carried her to his bedroom, removed her shoes, then pulled his boots off, along with his shirt, and climbed into bed with her. She curled up on his chest and met the oblivion of sleep. 


	15. Perchance to Dream

Author's Note: Okay, I had many things happen all at once, I know that's NO excuse, but, I did write TWO chapters that I am putting up right here for all of you...  
  
To my reviewers and reviewers to be: Hi! Thanks for the reviews, please review more, it makes me want to write more. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  
  
Angst and cliffhanger warnings.  
  
And the legal stuff-Mutant X isn't owned by me at all. Suing me will not help, I don't have any money. Kari's mine though, she's for sale, see me for details.  
  
And this one's...  
  
Perchance to dream....  
  
Brennan knew at once it was a dream. It was a former nightmare, the one where he lost Adam and Emma, but it was a different replay this time. It seemed like a rerun, but he knew that Adam was alive. The scene switched to a peaceful Zen garden. Shalimar was sitting on a bench in the garden, waiting for Brennan. Brennan waved, and started toward her. Shalimar stood as he approached. "Cool dream," he said, "You along for the ride?"  
Shalimar frowned.  
"It's more like are you along for mine," Shalimar looked at him stunned, "This dream was mine till you came in."  
Brennan stared at her. This was a new one.  
Lexa stirred, then woke to sunlight streaming through the windows of her room. Something wasn't right, she felt anxiety running through the air. It ran up her spine and played on her senses.  
She got up and headed for the kitchen. Strangely enough, it was deserted. She walked the halls, checking on her friends, who all were sleeping soundly. Stopping at Jesse's door, she looked in slowly, noticing that Kari had curled up on Jesse's chest, and her eyes were halfway open. It was strange to see her looking so unfocused, but the feel of the room was that they were in trouble. They needed the sleep though, and she left the room slowly, and quietly.  
She headed back down the hallway to her room and felt eyes on her back. Turning around, she stared at the figure behind her. Instantly, she felt herself going faint. It was her brother, Leo.  
Jesse sat staring at the pond in front of him. This Zen garden was beautiful. The air was slightly chilled, but clean. He felt the peace of the water in front of him and knew instantly that he wasn't alone. He turned to look and saw Kari behind him.  
"Hey, where are we?" he asked, his voice sounding alien to him.  
Kari smiled. He looked peaceful at last.  
"The dreamscape," she said, "You needed the break. So did everyone else. And..."  
Jesse got up and watched her face as she started to explain, eyes filling with concern as she stopped.  
"And what, Kari," Jesse asked, "What have you done?"  
Kari didn't answer him, just looked behind him. Jesse turned and met the eyes of his former teammate, Emma deLauro. 


	16. Visits and Visitations

**Spiritwalker****-**

A/N-These characters belong to the creators of Mutant X. They don't belong to me, except Kari Spiritwalker. She's for sale, email me for details.

Couple of warnings for everyone-

First-KLENEX!  You'll need it!

Second-Once again, I might offend those with religious sensibilities. Sorry.

Third-To review is to make my day. Please, do your best Eastwood. I need the support.

**Visits**

Lexa tried to process the scene in front of her. She had buried her brother not too long ago. He was now standing in front of her. Therefore he was a ghost. He had to be.__

"Lex, you okay?" Leo asked, putting his hands on her shoulders to steady her.

His hands were like ice. Lexa shuddered.

"You're dead," she breathed, "You can't be standing here."

"You're still asleep and I," he replied, quickly pulling his hands away, "am a dream. You and your friends are in the dreamscape."

Lexa didn't process.

"What?"

"You're dreaming," Leo continued, heading back toward Jesse's room, "You don't realize how great this is for us, having that Spiritwalker here."

It connected.

"Kari brought you here?" Lexa asked in disbelief, "She can do that?"

"It took some doing between me and others here," Leo explained, "I don't have much time to tell you this, Lexa, but you're in a good place for you. Live."

"It's hard to live," Lexa replied, taking a moment to realize what he was saying, "I feel like I have lost direction."

Leo pushed Jesse's door open slightly.

"You haven't lost direction," he smiled, "These guys are your new family. Protect them like you protected me, Lex, they love you like a sister. It's hard to see, but they do."

"And Jesse?" Lexa asked, watching her friend sleep.

"I can't tell you the future, sis," Leo turned to meet her eyes, "But stay with these guys, they are part of your path. Time to wake up."

Lexa frowned. She didn't want him to go.

"Leo…" She stammered.

"I know, you don't have to say it." He wrapped his arms around her as he faded.

She opened her eyes to the play of sunlight in her room. Pinching the inside of her hand, she knew this time, she was awake.

"Emma?" Jesse barely spoke, his voice dry.

Emma DeLauro, his friend and love smiled back at him.

"Yep, it's me," she began, "I had to bring you here to check on you and everyone else."

"But, Emma, you're dead," Jesse was stunned. It was getting hard to breathe.

"Jesse, there are things in play that you don't understand yet," Emma began, taking his hand and leading him down the waterway, leaving Kari standing at the shore, "Kari was supposed to come to Sanctuary, supposed to get Eckhardt out of you, and arrange this."

She turned back around to the younger Native American. Kari met her look and sat in Jesse's spot, staring at the water. Jesse instantly felt for her, resisting the urge to hug her, for the look of sadness in her eyes chilled him to his soul.

In their slumber, Jesse put both arms around her, protecting her. Kari had curled up and settled into normal sleep.

"She cares an awful lot about you,"  Emma observed, "and everyone else. She could be good for the team, but I think her path lies elsewhere."

"Yeah, she does care about all of us," Jesse sighed, looking at the water, "She's risking a lot to bring me here."

"You didn't come here alone," Emma continued,  motioning to the two figures approaching them from a distance, "She brought Brennan and Shal here too."

"All three of us? Emma, why?" Jesse asked.

"For the mission you have ahead of you, and for closure," Emma replied, "I wanted a minute before they get here. Jesse, you need to know that I loved you."

Jesse stopped for a moment. He had always suspected that, but to hear it was different.

"And I you," he said softly, turning to finally look at her.

She was still as beautiful as he first remembered her. Her eyes lit up with the admission.

"Thank you," she said as she kissed him on the lips, "I needed to tell you that."

Jesse kissed her back, then bit his lip, fighting back the tears that were surging to his eyes.

"Don't, I won't have you getting sad on me," Emma put a finger on his lips, "Jesse, you're the team now, you, Brennan, Shal and Lexa."

Jesse shook his head, his eyes reflecting the tears that he held there. Emma's eyes radiated love back to him, and she turned to greet Shalimar and Brennan, much in the same way she greeted him, smiles and hugs to Shalimar and a kiss to the cheek of Brennan.

"My friends, it is so good to see you, and sadly, for the last time," she began after a moment, "Kari can only hold me here for a short time, but I needed to say goodbye to you."

Shalimar put an arm around Jesse, one look told her that this visit was devastating him. Brennan put his hand in Shalimar's. They were as one, as they had been since Emma had left them.

"I brought you together for several reasons," Emma continued, "First, to defeat Eckhardt, Second, to protect the database."

"Which we have done," Brennan interrupted, "And you know we'll keep it up."

"I cannot predict the future, Brennan," Emma's gaze was dark, "But, Magneto is a very real enemy. Remember this. It will matter in your futures."

Shalimar nodded. Emma smiled at her.

"Third, keep the team together," Emma's gazed at all of them, "This I know will happen. Live your lives, guys, don't dwell on mine."

Jesse closed his eyes, it was hard to fight the tears. Kari came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"She's got to go," Kari said, her eyes meeting Emma's, "I'm so sorry, but it's time for her to move on."

The three nodded in near unison, and Emma faded from their shared dream.

           Shalimar awoke, her bedding  all over the room, covered in a cold sweat. She sat up and brought her knees to her chest. The dream haunted her. Emma's warnings played in her head. She had to keep the team together.

            Brennan rolled over and opened his eyes.  He was alone, and he was awake. His eyes burned at the thought of what had just happened. He had missed Emma from the moment she crossed over and had wondered what he could have done to save her. The thought crossed his mind, there was nothing he could have done, she was meant to go, it was her time.

Jesse opened his eyes to the sunlight pouring through his windows. He quickly closed his eyes again, wanting to go back to the dream, but it was far gone. He opened them again, putting a hand to them to wipe the tears away. They had stained his cheeks and soaked his pillows.

            Shiftly slightly, he looked down at the woman curled in the crook of his arm. She was finally sleeping, minus the aids of medications that he administered, and she looked peaceful at last. She had sacrificed her remaining strength to bring them the messages from Emma. He wanted to make sure she slept. If he could have given her his strength, at that moment, he would have. Gladly.

          He needed to get up, he needed to check on his friends, and he needed to process what had just happened. Was it a vivid dream, or was it a visit?


	17. Reality and Dreams

Spiritwalker

A/N-Thank you to those who have reviewed. I appreciate it more than you know. More is coming. Stick with me, it's going to become a series, I feel it in me.

Legal Stuff-Hey, I don't own these characters, they are owned by Marvel. Thanks Stan. Kari Spiritwalker is mine, she's for sale, see me for details.

**Reality and dreams**

Jesse woke with a start, he had realized that he had dozed. The dream had actually drained him, so this last bit of sleep was more restful than he knew at first. He finally felt better.

Kari was still asleep. She was curled up next to him, her head on his bare chest, her jet black hair spread out like a fan. He watched her for a moment, her steady breathing an indicator that she was finally sleeping normally, her sleep not drug induced from the times he first watched her sleep.

The mere fact that he was awake again startled him. The experience of his shared dream with Brennan and Shalimar was terrifying, yet awe inspiring. The woman who slept beside him was in no way ordinary, instead she was an extremely powerful mutant. Her powers were at a level he had not seen before and the burgeoning scientist in him and he wanted to study her further.

'Kilmartin, you are thinking more and more like Adam Kane every day,' he thought to himself, shifting his gaze from the woman at his side to the light crawling up the wall.

By the amount of light filling his room, he knew it was past nine and the others would be up and moving. He needed to join them, but he knew it would be hard to leave Kari. Duty did call.

Moving slowly and quickly, he pulled several pillows from behind his head, phased them and put them on his chest, phasing himself.

Kari didn't move. She just gathered the pillows and curled up with them, leaving Jesse to move off the bed. He watched her for a second, then pulled on his discarded shirt and headed for the kitchen.

Coffee would help. The need for caffeine was shared by his teammates, his own little 'family' in Mutant X. It would be awkward though. They had shared a dream. Lexa wasn't in it, how would she handle it?

How would they interpret Emma's message? Damn, he had thought of Emma again, and it still hurt. The amount of energy used to bring her and them together was astonishing. No wonder Kari was wiped out. He mused the situation as he entered the kitchen and found his teammates silent.

Brennan and Shalimar were sitting there with coffee, not talking but trying to wake up. Lexa sat at the table as well, her tea slowly going cold. Jesse joined them, his coffee mug warm, but the atmosphere at the table chilling him. No one was speaking.

Lexa decided to break the silence.

"So, how did everyone sleep?" she asked, deadpan, "Or are we all going to guess?"

Brennan couldn't help but laugh. The looks on his friends face looked like a funeral, not the look of morning at Sanctuary. Jesse's face alone looked like he had run a metaphysical marathon where the mind hadn't rested, while his body had. Shalimar on the other hand looked fine, but knowing her, she had her mind racing faster than a cheetah.

"I just want to know how she did that," Brennan thought aloud, "You know that must have taken all of her strength and so much energy…"

"She's out cold in my room," Jesse interrupted, "I decided it best to let her sleep. Nearest I can tell, she is like a magnet for the spirits that are hanging around here. I mean we all knew Emma had power, but Kari is off the scales."

Brennan nodded.

"Okay, I am a bit lost here," Lexa stated, "Who did you guys dream about last night? Emma?"

Shalimar nodded.

"Emma, why? Who did you dream of?"

"My brother," Lexa replied, "Damn, it was so real. He was here, we were walking and talking about all of you."

"Hopefully all good," Shalimar smiled as she put a hand on Lexa's arm, "I don't know why you weren't in the dream with us."

"She never met Emma," Jesse answered, "C'mon Shal, it makes sense. Leo would be perfect to talk to her, he's someone she knew and loved like we loved Emma."

Brennan's eyes met Lexa's. She looked more relieved than upset that she was left out.

"Leo mentioned how important it was for her to be here," Lexa continued, "He said it was wonderful that someone with her abilities could be here for all the spirits here."

"ALL?" Jesse asked, "Wow."

"Sure changes your view on the physical world, doesn't it," Brennan added, "We probably should be having this conversation with Kari, but guys, how did she do that?"

"She didn't do it alone," Jesse continued, "Brennan, Emma was helping her from wherever she is, the beyond, the hereafter, purgatory, whatever. Kari's a magnet, guys."

"She sure is," Shalimar agreed, getting up to get another cup of coffee and taking Jesse's mug with her.

"Problem here is that she's very strong and undertrained," Jesse held back a yawn, "I want to help her, but I don't know how. I have Adam's records on her, but they are incomplete. She has a tremendous database of knowledge in her head that we need."

"You want to study her?" Shalimar came back in with the coffee, "Do you think she'll go for that?"

"I'll need your help," Jesse watched everyone's face as he took the coffee from Shalimar, "She needs to know she's safe here. She doesn't show that much emotion, but she really trusts us. Can we help her?"

"I think we can," Brennan's response was automatic and Shalimar's smile was the perfect compliment to him.

Jesse met Lexa's gaze.

"You in?"

Lexa stared back at him.

"I'll help, but I have to ask this. Will this happen again, because I don't think I can take it," she stared back at the table as she said it, afraid to meet his gaze.

"Lexa, I don't think it was a dream, I think it was a visit," Jesse took a moment to reply, his fingers joining hers on the table, "Emma was far too real for it to be a simple dream."

"But is it even possible?" Lexa asked.

"There are things beyond our capabilities at work here, Lex," Shalimar interrupted, "I'm with Jesse on this one."

Lexa didn't answer. The thought that her brother simply wanted her to live had changed her more than she would like to admit.

"Brennan, you have grown quiet," Jesse gave him a sideways glance, "What are your thoughts on this?"

"I think it was a visit and it was great to see her again," he said, taking Lexa's hand, "And I think we can definitely help Kari Spiritwalker."

Kari slept on. Jesse checked on her in the late afternoon but didn't have the heart to wake her. She stirred when he sat on the edge of the bed and slowly opened her eyes.

"What the?" her voice was soft and cracked, "Where am I? Jess?"

Her eyes met his as she tried to focus.

"Hey there," he smiled, "You feel like joining the land of the living, or you want to sleep some more?"

Jesse bit his lip. He shouldn't have said that to a medium. The memory of the dream flooded back to Kari as she focused on him.

"Funny, but I don't think I want to go back to sleep," she said, her voice a little stronger, "I don't know if I am ready to get up either."

"Take your time," Jesse smiled at her. He was discovering that she didn't wake up well.

Kari nodded at him and slowly moved her feet to the edge of the bed. She started to stand and waved off his offered arm. She yawned as she stood up.

"Sorry, it's not the company," she turned to him, putting a hand on his arm as he stood.

"You guys okay?" she asked.

He took a second before answering her, studying her face.

"Somewhat," Jesse's reply was a shock, "They're wanting to talk with you when you're ready to hear it."

"And you?"

Jesse didn't answer that question. He really didn't want to. Time to change the subject.

"You hungry?" he asked.

Kari quickly realized the subject was dropped.

"Yes, I am hungry," she answered, "I think I could use a shower first."

"Bren and Shal brought your pack back from the safehouse, it's in the guest room, which also has a shower," Jesse added.

"Thanks."

She let him go and turned to the door. She took a second then turned back to him.

"Jess, really, thank you."

Jesse looked at her. She was still tired, but her dark eyes were amazingly bright.

"You're welcome," he replied, "Go on, I'll even make dinner."


	18. Aftermaths

A/N Okay, Kari is now introduced, she's a visitor to the team, and she's gonna stay for a little while. To my avid readers and reviewers, I love you guys, you keep me going. Kari's going to stay around a while-I'm loving this creative spurt.

This is the end of Spiritwalker though, I need to bring Mutant X into other adventures, and well, I am going to a con, so I will be offline for a few days.

Legal stuff-Mutant X is not mine. The copyrights and characters are all theirs, I'm just a player in this game, and I don't have a legal leg to stand on. I'm without tremendous amounts of cash, so don't sue me, You won't get anything.

Thanks again to my reviewers, massage alert!, and for the Jesse loving contingent…if we can ever get the man alone…(Evil grin)

Aftermaths

After a change of clothes and a hot shower, Kari Spiritwalker looked much more like 15 than 25. She had put on a tank top, fresh jeans and braided her straight black hair. She also pulled on a pair of soft leather boots that laced up to her knees. She finally felt like herself.

She folded up her dirty clothes and pulled the rest from her pack. Luckily there was a small chest of drawers to put her clothes in located in the guest room, and she put the clothes in the bottom drawer. She also pulled a series of CD roms from her pack. They were unmarked but she knew each and every one of them. Jesse would want them, so she left them on the bed.

Her stomach rumbled. It was definitely time to eat. She headed for the kitchen, her CD's in hand, and followed her nose to the kitchen. Jesse was hard at work, as was Shalimar, cutting and rolling sushi, while Lexa kept checking soup on the small stove. Brennan was setting the table for five,  making sure that the whole group had plenty of condiments and ginger. He looked up and saw her standing there.

"Hey, how you feeling?" he walked up to her, "You clean up well."

Kari blushed. It was nice to be complimented. Jesse turned from his cutting of fish and wiped his hands on a cloth.

"Brennan's right," he came up to her, "You do clean up well."

Kari smiled and met his gaze.

"Thank you, how can I help?" Kari felt like doing something.

"Have a seat, we need someone to wash the dishes," Shalimar butted in, taking the plate full of sushi to the table, "Eat. You need it."

"Thanks," she laughed, "Looks like my folks place."

She sat down and put soy sauce in a dish. Brennan soon joined her and they all ate together, laughing and picking on each other. They avoided the dreams they had shared. Kari could sense the deliberate avoidance, but was grateful for the lack of talk of spirits, mediums and psionics. They were going to have to face it though.

Jesse took a second and noticed her look. She seemed to retreat into herself. He remembered what he read about her in Adam's files. _Kari is a shy young woman who studies life as she lives it._ Adam had her summed up brilliantly.

Kari glared back at him for a moment. Caught.

Lexa smiled. This woman was a little more than Jesse was used to. Nice to see him have to be kept on his toes.

They were nearing the end of the sushi and the conversation when Kari realized that the moment had arrived.

"So, Kari," Brennan began then stopped. He knew he didn't do well at these things, Jesse was more the diplomat.

"So, Brennan?" Kari played along, the sushi giving her a warm feeling.

"We were talking while you were sleeping and wanted to know if you wanted to stay here a while," Brennan continued, "It would only be for as long as you wanted to."

"Sure, if you guys are okay with it," Kari replied, taking a moment to study everyone's faces, "I would love to."

            That evening, Sanctuary had become rather quiet. Brennan and Lexa went out, both to get supplies and see what the word was on Magneto's appearance. Shalimar had gone back to sleep, the emotions of the night before had truly exhausted her. Kari had found herself a moment to meditate in the quietest place in Sanctuary, clearing her mind and pulling her strength together.

            Jesse spent the time looking through the CD's that she had given him. Many of them were her own medical files, she asked him to add them to the database, knowing that it would help other mutants with her abilities. At the same time, he realized that she had handed him a backup of the mutant database, level 12 cryptation, the only other copy of that disc was in his possession. Adam had given it to her, she had explained, while Adam had told him that someone special had the only other copy.

            He looked at her figure on the vidscreen. She was peacefully meditating. He thought about joining her. He needed a little peace himself.

            He started for the meditation pond and stopped. She had stopped mediating and was waiting for him.

            "How'd you know?' he asked, more curious than upset that he had bothered her.

            "Practice," she smiled, "And I was done. How are the CD's coming?"

            "Surprising," Jesse settled on the platform next to her, "I didn't know how much you actually knew. Adam was pretty good at keeping his secrets."

            "He's not dead," Kari snapped at him, "You of all people know that."

            Jesse stopped. She was right. The question of Adam's demise had been solved for him when he read the contingency plan that Adam had left him in Sanctuary Files.

            "Sorry, still not used to it," he admitted. He sighed. This platform on their own zen pond had it's relaxing effects.

            Kari scooted behind him and gently started to rub his shoulders. For Jesse, it felt like heaven. Her fingers worked on his knots of tension, hitting the spot where his tension built from hours in front of the computer.

            "God, that's wonderful," he said, his eyes closing, "Where did you learn to do that?'

            She laughed and continued on the sore spots.

            "My mom taught shiatsu massage," she replied, "She can put you flat in minutes, but just relax, let me know if I hurt you."

            "I don't think you could, Kari," Jesse mumbled, "Your mom's an excellent teacher."

            "To a point," Kari continued, "It was hard raising me, Japan has a hard enough time with half-breeds, and they really don't want mutants. We mess with the natural Japaneseness of things. I tend to take after my father's side."

            "You still keep in touch with your parents?" Jesse asked, his hands going to the platform beside him. She was relaxing him even further in her own way. If he didn't keep talking, he would be asleep.

            "Off and on. They still travel to Japan in the summers, I used to stay with my grandparents on the reservation when they left," Kari started on the small of his back, her hands quickly loosening his spine, "That's how I met Uncle Logan. I didn't know about him till I got lost one night. He found me, hurt and did what he could to get me home. He's got powerful friends."

            That's an understatement, Jesse thought. Her fingers were hitting all the tight spots and loosening his tension. She stopped.

            "That help?" she asked, turning to meet his eyes.

            The wave of peace that had flooded his senses during the massage had helped. She was VERY good. He put a hand on hers.

            "Thank you," he said, " I needed that."

            "You're welcome," her reply continued as she swung her feet around and hung them over the pond.

            "How are you doing?" she continued, "You never answered my question, are you okay from last night?"

            Jesse sighed. He knew this was coming. She was waiting for an answer and he had avoided it.

            "Yes," he said softly, "I am."

            He was going to continue, but her face stopped him.

            "What?"

            "Are you really okay? I know that we shared a very emotional experience and frankly, Jesse, I have never had one that powerful before," Kari looked away from him and into the water below, "Emma's spirit came to me and went for it. I usually have much more control over this power and it ran me last night."

            "Scared you?" Jesse was surprised. In the few months he knew Kari, she had never gotten this in depth about her powers before.

            "Exhausted me more than scared me," her interruption was followed by her shifting her body to face him, "You handled it well. I'm sorry it was so emotional for you. You loved Emma."

            "Yeah, we all did," Jesse admitted, "I guess that we needed time to say goodbye, I don't know, we needed that though."

            "She's peaceful now, as is Leo," she continued, "Lexa didn't have to tell me."

            "She's scared it's going to happen again," Jesse admitted, "She didn't quite admit it, but I think you shook her up."

            "Leo did, I was just the channel," Kari returned the stare at the water, "I need to control this better, Jess, if it's going to be stronger. I guess I'm evolving."

            "Yep, I think you are, and I want to help you, Kari," Jesse said, an arm going over her shoulder, "I am not as strong as Adam in this, but our resources are yours."

            "Thanks," Kari turned to him, "But, you haven't answered my question. Are you okay?"

            Jesse thought for a second. He was. Emma was in the past, it was time for the future.


End file.
